10 Home Gym Must Haves (That Won’t Break the Bank!)

10 Home Gym Must Haves (That Won’t Break the Bank!)

Working out from home now and curious about must have equipment for a home gym? Get started with my 10 Home Gym Must Haves!

I’ve been working out mainly at home for almost a decade. When the Hubs and I moved into our home we had an extra room in the basement that was perfect for some home gym equipment and I starting stocking it full of goodies. Over the years I’ve bought items that have worked and some that are collecting dust. With that, I feel like I’ve got a great feel on home gym must haves… the items you really need for basic home gym needs and to keep on a fitness routine no matter what life throws at you. So with gyms closing and everyone moving their workouts home, I thought I’d share my 10 Home Gym Must Haves.

Home Gym Must Haves?

Before I dive into the small stuff, I wanted to mention I have a couple of big ticket items that I’ve had and loved for 10 years. In my opinion, they were worth every penny.

With the twins, I LOVE having a treadmill because it means I can always get my run in… even if I can’t get out of the house. The Hubs has a large weight set in there too. If you are into bodybuilding or powerlifting that could work great for you. I don’t use the weight set but use ALL the items below.

Even though I do have the cardio equipment, you don’t NEED it… especially since a lot of you might have gotten thrown into working out from home. YES, it’s so nice to have and I’m lucky to have it… but you can also get a good workout with a collection of relatively inexpensive workout gear and must have home gym accessories. Honestly, my weights, workout videos and some of these items below get just as much game time as the bigger equipment.

Most of this stuff you could keep in a small closet or corner of your house to get a good home workout, even if you don’t have space for a complete home gym. So today I’m diving into my 10 home gym must haves!

10 Home Gym Must Haves

I’m all about bodyweight workouts, but there is something to be said for adding a little hand weights. I have a small collection of hand weights that gets the job done. Most of us don’t need anything too complicated and this 32-pound set works great for me. It’s on the top of my list for home gym must haves.

A light hand weight is a great way to make your exercises even more effective. There are all sorts of studies that show women and men benefit from weight training including a decrease threat for osteoporosis, healthier bones, and leaner muscles. If you need some guidance on what to do with them, you can find all sorts of workout inspiration on blogs like Running in a Skirt and Pinterest. Start with this workout here!

If you are a beginner and need a little less weight, you can also try this set which maxes out at 5 pounds. And if you want more neutral colors, here’s those same weights in black. For men looking for more weight, this adjustable set will work well for you.

Kettlebells are just fun. Yes, you could use a hand weight to get the same kind of exercise done, but I love the momentum of a kettlebell. I like this set HERE which goes up to 15 pounds. I buy these heavier than my hand weights to really get impact from the exercises and have more versatility in the home gym. Most of the exercises using them involves swinging and it really engages the core and gives you a full body workout.

A Bosu is a little more of an investment, but it’s one of the best things I ever bought for my home gym other than the big equipment. It’s basically half of a stability ball and can be used for all sorts of exercise. You can use it for core exercise, to get more engagement out of lunges and even as a weight. It’s so versatile and can make you strong.

It comes with it’s own workout DVD, which is always nice. I love this pink version (big surprise!) but it also comes in a more neutral blue and a dozen different colors that didn’t exist when I bought mine long ago. I actually own the blue one, because the pink did not exist when I bought mine.

I’ve had a stability ball in my house for probably a decade. It’s my go-to tool to add more engagement to crunches. I’ll also sit on it to do arm weight and use it as extra resistance for burpees. They are pretty inexpensive and if you can’t get a bosu, it’s a great tool to have around. In keeping with the color theme, try this one. Depending on your height though, you may need to choose the blue or black one.

I also LOVE Maggie Brinkley’s workout series on Amazon Prime. If you have Prime, it’s totally free and super simple to use. The videos are no-frills, but I have found her short 15-minute workouts to be super effective. I’ve done THIS ONE more times than I care to admit. I do them with the boys and they jump around with me and try to crawl under me if I’m doing planks. I think it’s good to show them that we workout!

Resistance bands are a great exercise tool that up very little space. I’ve used them in the past when I’ve had to work through some injuries, but have kept them because they are so useful. Use them to strengthen your ankles, add resistance moves or even make leg lifts more effective. They literally fit in that small pouch, so if you are short on space, this is a great addition for limited for small space.

I know when you think step, you might be thinking cheesy 80’s workout… BUT these tools can be great additions to the home gym! Use it as a way to increase your calorie burn with strength exercise and a simple cardio alternative.

Even if you aren’t into yoga, a yoga mat is something that really helps in your home gym. It gives you space to do floor ab or strength work without sitting on the floor and if you are yogi it’s nice to have an extra mat for the house.

If you have space and money, I adore my treadmill and elliptical(I got both of mine at a crazy good Black Friday sale years ago.) But I know not everyone has the cash or space for such big items. Don’t let that stop you from working out at home! Even a handful of these 10 Home Gym Must Haves can really get you started working out at home. If you need more inspiration, make sure to check out my Workouts page from Running in a Skirt OR my Workouts! Pinterest page.

What I wouldn’t give right now for some 10lbs dumbells! My boyfriend has 40 lbs ones that I can barely life 🙂 My 2 yoga mats are side by side in the living room next to my foam roller and some of his resistance bands. Other than that I’ve been doing online yoga, HIIT, beachbody classes online and going for runs outside. I may break down and buy a kettlebell before all this is over.

[…] actually been working out from home for nearly 10 years. I put together my own home gym with a few key things items but I also rely on simple no equipment workouts. Over the years I’ve shared some of these […]

This is a great post Julie! I have a few things myself (hand weights, mat & TRX suspension trainer – you should try it – it’s awesome!). But I’m lucky enough to have a mini gym in our apartment complex which has stability balls, kettle bells, bands, medicine balls, etc. It’s pretty great. I really do want a bosu ball though. The boot camp I go to uses them and they are really great, especially for strength & stability. And pink!! Oh and I thought I was the only one who liked steps!! Haha, totally 80’s but I love them. Have you tried toneitup.com? I love their workout videos and they’re free =) Great tips for a stellar home gym!

Enjoyed your article. My favorites for my home work outs are hand weights and kettlebells along with a pair of comfortable supportive sneakers. I’ve also been fortunate enough to find some great work out videos at Marshalls for under $10! Thanks!

This is seriously the perfect list! I workout at home and mostly use hand weights, a stability ball, and bands. I have been wanting to invest in some kettlebells too. That’s so nice you have a workout room. We have all our equipment in our garage, so in the Winter my workouts space can get pretty chilly.

Hi Friends!

I'm Julie Wunder... Emmy award-winning former WLOS meteorologist. Fitness enthusiast. Vegetarian & pescatarian foodie. Wannabe fashionista. Lover of travel, adventure and fun. Blogger at Running in a Skirt... where my goal is to help YOU live a happier, healthier life!